White Collar, Season One (2009)

December 21, 2011

to Read
(

Words)

Ever since
becoming a follower of USA produced shows where they beckon “Characters
Welcome” as their trademark slogan, this show has popped up in promo spots and
all kinds of material interrelated to the series I was already enjoying. Further
reading only tempted me more and the shows premise sounded like wicked good fun
– plus a commentator compared it to Burn Notice… enough said.

If truth were
to slap Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) in the face, he might not know what hit him. His
girlfriend just dumped him and instead of coin collecting, he collects aliases.
What’s worse, he can do nothing to win his beloved back – he is in prison. The
best con man in the business, Neal is a white collar criminal whose specialties
have been proven but not limited too art and securities theft, along with
forgeries. Since he enjoyed the high life with rarely any limits, Neal has made
an enemy or two in his line of work, just one of whom is the FBI. Or more
specifically, Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) the only agent to ever entrap Neal, catching
him in an act that would make charges stick. Now with four months left to go in
his sentence, Neal conceives a brilliant escape plan in order to find Kate… but
all he gets is an empty bottle of vintage wine that relays “good-bye,” Peter waiting
to nab Neal again – and another four
years in jail. Back in prison, Neal proves that all the information Peter has
on him is reciprocated; Neal knows just as much about Peter. Right now, Peter
is working on bringing down The Dutchman, an infamous forger – and Neal can
help with that. Skeptical, Peter walks away from Neal’s offer, especially when
what Neal wants is a reduced sentence.

Figuring Neal
is playing him, Peter isn’t excited at the prospect of the man no one could
touch running the streets again but his quest to put into custody The Dutchman
outweighs his reservations. His wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) is now well
acclimated to being a federal agent’s wife after a decade of marriage but when
their anniversary is upcoming and Neal is
the one to remind Peter of that, the twosome not only must work together to nab
notorious white collar criminals, but teaching Peter the art of romance.

As if plot
outlines aren’t enough, basically this is a show having a con man as the main
“hero” and for that alone, it builds on some interesting intersecting plots. And,
many of those points aren’t necessarily immoral; it could even be argued that
they explore dishonesty and loyalty in some personal ways and the ending result
is often positive. As with many shows, the “hook” doesn’t fully come until two
or three episodes in – it just doesn’t reach its full potential until then. The
pilot is still awesome and it gives us a feel of who everyone is going to
become but not everyone will be intrigued by it since a lot of shows are
“cautious” in their first run when testing audiences, is vital. Then, if
ordered to full season, they really bring their a-game. You need to give the
show a minimum of three episodes before giving a final verdict.

All the
characters are really interesting and I look forward to seeing where writers
take them in future; Peter and Elizabeth in particular are adorable together.
They are extremely mismatched individuals but they love each other more that
anything. I love their witty banter and the fact that Peter bounces theories
off his wife; similarly, the interplay between Neal and Peter is hilarious (as
is that between Elizabeth and Neal!). Both are innately perceptive and most
noticeably in Peter, there is more than meets the eye to his character – his
constant distrust of Neal is often met with surprise. Normal to any show, this
ones freshman season has an ongoing plot line, but was one that wound up
surprising me as I’d assumed a case the duo was working on (tracking a
notorious thief), would be the underlying plot, becoming a thorn to be reckoned
with, instead a more personal issue takes precedence where Neal is the one with
ghosts haunting him. One of the most entertaining episodes is “All In,” which
coincidently also drops the biggest bombshell on us.

White Collar’s impact is more emotional than it is
exciting. Having an FBI agent work in a branch where chasing the bad guys (the ones who accessorize with machine guns) isn’t
a part of the job description does not lend itself to being overly thrilling in
terms of an adrenaline rush. So if that is a requirement as a part of
television viewing, this won’t be your thing. What the show does have is, like
many of its neighbors, fabulous, witty humor. At first, my idea of this network
(USA) was that so long as they brought in ratings, it didn’t matter what was
shown on the air, but with such a fondness for Burn Notice, I have read more about the “standards” the station
holds itself too and have come to appreciate their programs all the more,
branching out to something other than my usual. Its entire appeal just works;
from wardrobe to the angles of filmmaking, or as my mother would say about Neal
– he’s the “cutest criminal” yet. That he is!

Thanks to
Ruth at Booktalk and More for her thoughts on this series;
it was the “final straw” in convincing me to try this! (Note to Ruth: you really shouldn’t
have written such a convincing review! *grin*)

(Cautions:
the premiere and finale allude to a lesbian character. Neal is a notorious
flirt and is constantly making conquests; there is some sensual flirting
between a married couple. Episode three has Neal romancing a suspect and as
part of his cover, there is a seductive “pat-down” scene in which Neal moves
his hands over her entire body as she does likewise. Not wanting Peter to know
who one of his past associates is they pretend Alex was at his place for, more
than just a chit-chat [she undresses to her slip, later, they swim nude].
During the course of investigations, at least four people die.)

3 comments:

Ahh, White Collar! I love that TV series! I remember getting interested in it after watching the airing of first episode with my dad. And because the end of the first episode was so intriguing, we were simply impelled to see the next episode, and then the next one...until we ended up watching the whole first season. Sadly, I didn't get to see the the second season when it came out. Did you see it, Rissi? Do you have any idea if they're going to continue making more seasons for White Collar?

Jemimah - I am right there with you! This series is phenomenal - and believe me, it has only gotten better!

Yes, I did see S2 - it was AWESOME! I do have a review if you'd be interested in reading it, I would post it; I hope you get the chance to see it sometime, 'cause it is worth it. =)

As regards renewing the show... like Ruth said, it is currently on hiatus from S3 (it will be back in Jan. sometime) and I am sure that I just read that S4 is in line to air this summer - how cool is that!? We are assured more Neal and Peter. ;D

Ruth - me, too!! My mom and I were hooked from the beginning even though it has gotten SO much better in its plot lines and characters - love everything about this show, from Neal's sharp dressing to Elizabeth and Peter together (so cute!).

I did see S2 and loved it! I actually own the available seasons on DVD and am now mad that the only "volume 1" that USA Network has chosen to release this winter is Royal Pains! Why couldn't it be some others in addition to that!? I mean, really...

Have a thought? Don't be shy, go ahead and leave one... or two... or three! I reply to every comment. If you're new to the blog, please don't hesitate to introduce yourself and your blog - we love chatting around here!

Feedback and every comment is appreciated and read - I always leave a response; your opinions are respected and I ask that you show mine the same courtesy.

(If you post under “anonymous,” please leave a name. If you don't have a Google account, you can type your name into the Name/URL and if you have no site, just leave "URL" blank.)

If you are still reading my ramblings, thank you for following this little blog and for being one of its supporters. I’ve enjoyed getting to know each of you, friends!

Follow @rissi006

Copyright

Privacy

Finding Wonderland (RissiWrites.com) does not sell or trade your (user, reader) information nor do we share information with other. The exception being in the case of a third party giveaway host.
Our advertising companies (ads placed on RissiWrites.com) may collect some information when you visit our website, which we have no control over.